Robe-rack.



G. H. HIGGINS.

ROBE RACK.

APPLICATXON FILED JAN. 5. 1916.

1 ,233,576. Patented July 17, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

6. H. Hays 4778 G. H. HIGGINS.

ROBE RACK.

- APPLICATION FILED JAN. 5, 19l6.

1,233,576. Patented July 17, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- GEORGE H. HIGGINS, 0F GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN.

ROBE-RACK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 17, 1917.

* Application filed January 5, 1916. Serial No. 70,519.

To 4Z5 whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, Grlono'n H. limo-ins, av citizen of the United States, residing at Grand Rapids, in the count of Kent and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Robe.- itacks; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in. the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The primary object 'of this invention is to improve the construction of racks, designed to be mounted on the rear sides of the back of automobile seats, so as to hold robes and similar apparel, by providing a rack formed of companion clamping sections adapted to clamp the robes therebetween. and having means associated therewith tor positivelv holding the clamping members in clamping position. I I

Another object. of the invention is to provide a rack for carrying out the above object, and so constructed that the clamping members can have relative adjustment so as to accommodate robes of" dilt'erent thicknesses. I

A further object of this invention is to provide a rack of this nature that will be of simpleconstruction, cheap to manufacture, will be durable. and eliicieut in operation, and will admit of the robes or other articles, being clamped or unclamped expeditiously.

Other objects will ippearand be better understood from that embodiment of my invention of which the following is..a specification, reference being had to the act-one pan ving drawings forming a part thereof, in which: I v

Figure I. is view showing the improved rack applied to the rear side of the bark of the front. seat.

Fig. 2 is a front view of the rack, re-

aiiovcd from the seat back, and showing the opposite ends of one of the clai'i'iping members in section.

Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 53 of Fig. 2.

arms formed to )ro'vide semicircular seats (3. Associated with the outer ends of the arms 4. are semi-cylindrical caps 7, which overlie the seat 6 and form therewith sleeves as shown in Fig.3 of the drawings.

An elongated clamping rod 8 is received by the sleeve, and has its opposite ends extending beyond the outer ends of the sleeves as shown at i) and 10 and tern'iinally provided with the knobs 1i. and 12. 'lhe' rod 8 provided. at points between the outer ends of the sleeve and the knobs 11 and -12. with transversely extending openings 13 and 14-. and the said rod has formed thereon, a plurality of spaced conically shaped fingers 15, certain of the fingers lying on opposite sides of the sleeves, so as to prevent longitudinal movement of the rod through the. sleeves.

The companion clamping rod 16, is ar-.

ranged in parallelism with the clamping rod h and' coextensive in length with the rod 8 and has itsoppositc terminal provided with beads 17, and 18. "Ihc rod 16 is provided at points adjacent its opposite ends with transverse openings 1.) and :20, which are arranged in alinemont with the openings 13 and H in the clamping rod is. The rod 16 has also formed thereon, a plurality of laterally projecting conical shaped fin gers 21. which extend in the direction of the rod thand are alined with the. spaces between the fingers 15 formed on the rod 8 as is clearly shown in Fig. 2 oi? the drawings.

The bars 0 and 16 have. adjustable, connection. with each other. by means of connecting links 22 and 23. Each of these links 22 and has one. end pivotod as at A. within one of theopeningsin the rod 8 and has its opposite end slidaloly extending through the openings in the adjacent end of the rod 16. Each of the links 22 and 23 has one side thereof provided with rack teeth adapted to be interchangeably engaged by a sliding lock bar 26, slidable. through the adjacent end of the clamping bar 16 and adapted to be operated in the ordinary manner,

by means of a key inserted within a key hole 27 formed in the adjacent end of the clamping bar 16. By virtue of the links 22 and 28, having the rack teeth 25 formed thereon, and the slidable locking bar 26, the clamp ing bar 16 can be adjusted toward or away from the clamping bar 8, so as to accommodate robes of different thicknesses.

In the modifications shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the clamping bars 8 and 16 have connection with each other by means of a pair of links 28 and 29, which are located atone end of the rack, and on opposite sides of the adjacent ends ofthe clamping bars 8 and 16. This construction admits of the clamping bar 16 having swinging movement so as to allow the robes, or other articles, to be expeditiously positioned between the clamping bars 8 and 16. In the construction of rack shownin Figs. 5 and 6, the clamping bar 8 is shown provided with an arcuate shaped rack bar 30 designed to be received by the opening in the adjacent end of the bar 16, the said bars being adapted to be locked in operative position by a sliding lock bolt, similar to the one shown at 26 in Fig. i of the drawings.

The clamping rod 8 shown both in the preferred and the modified form of construction, is adapted to have rotary movement within the'sleeves and the brackets so that when it is desired to clamp the robe orother articles between the rods 8 and 16, the rod it can be swung downwardly, pas shown in Fig. 6 and then moved to open position so that the article can be conveniently placed between the clamping rods 8 and 16. The fingers 15 and 21 are adapted to engage the article clamped, and by virtue of their arrangement the fingers on one clamping rod will force portions of the article clamped between the fingers on the other clamping rod, and in this way assure a maximum clamping action for the article.-

The fingers "15 and .21 are provided with rubber tips 32, so that the gripping efiicicncy of the fingers will be maximized. \Vhen positioning a robe, or other article, between the bars 8 and 16, shown in Fig. 1, the bar 16 ma be removed entirely from the linTgs 22 an :23, or, if desired, only one end of the bar 16 may be detached from the adjacent link, and the bar 16 swung to unclamping first bar and extendin position on the other link, similar to the bar 16, shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new is 1. A rack of the class described comprising, a clamping bar, a second clamping bar positioned in spaced relation to the firstmentioned clamping bar and pivoted for movement toward and away from the first bar, the said second bar having an opening therein, a pivoted element carried by the firstment-ioned bar and adapted to be received by the opening in the second-mentioned bar when the clamping bars are in operative position, the said pivoted element having a plurality of teeth thereon, and means for operatively engaging certain of the teeth on the pivoted element when the said element is received by the opening in the secondmentioned bar, so as to hold the clamping members in clamping position.

2. A rack of the class described compris ing companion clamping bars, one of the bars having openings therein, laterally extending links pivotally associated with the .other clamping bar and slidable through the openin in the first-mentioned bar so as to adjusta ly connect the first-mentioned bar to the second-mentioned bar, the said links having teeth thereon, and means carried by the first-mentioned bar for inter changeably engaging in the teeth on the links for holding the first-mentioned bar in adjusted'and clamping position.

3. A device of the class described comprising a rotatably mounted clamping bar, a second clamping bar, links connecting the second clamping bar to the first bar so as to admit of the second bar having movement toward and away from the first bar, the said second bar having an opening therein, a rack bar pivotally mounted on the in the direction of the second bar and a apted to be reeeiu-(l by the opening in the second bar when the latter bar is moved-toward the first bar. and means carried by the. second bar for engaging in the teeth on the rack when the rack bar is received by the opening in the second bar, so as to hold the second bar against movement.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE H. HIGGINS.

Witnesses:

Sonon E. "WINTER, WM. C. SHEPPORD. 

